How to Create a Screened Porch on a Deck

Creating a screened-in porch on a deck can help you enjoy outdoor living without mosquitoes and other flying pests.

Things You'll Need

Portable gazebo

Tarps

Nails or screws

Measure the deck's area. You will need a foldable gazebo just a bit smaller than the deck’s square footage.

Shop for an inexpensive screened-in gazebo. Many stores — from supermarkets to department and online stores — carry them in the spring and summer, along with lawn and deck furniture. They can cost $100 to $300. The cost is far less than building a porch.

Once you have picked your quick-to-build porch, it is easy to put up and the directions are easy to read.

Remember to screw or nail the bottom pieces of the tenting cloth to the deck for temporary security in case the wind picks up.

Buy screens or tarps for the sides of the gazebo. Some gazebos can be purchased with side panels, but for those that don’t, you can buy either modular pieces or get tarps with eye-holes to secure them to the structure of the gazebo. You can attach them with wire or rope, but long pipe cleaners — available in the craft sections of department stores — also will work well and easily.